Wildlife Viewing in the Thompson Region

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Wildlife Viewing The Land and the History Driving Routes Corridor Routes The Thompson Region contains a Clearwater River Corridor Tour The following are some suggested routes, circle tours and remarkable variety of natural (3.5 hrs one way) side trips, ranging from a half day to overnight excursions. landscapes called biogeoclimatic This route of waterfalls, Using a proper map or guidebook like the BC Road and zones and ecoprovinces. Eleven of mountains, rivers and wildlife fourteen biogeo- Recreational Atlas is strongly recommended in order to begins in Clearwater. Drive north climatic zones enjoy the following wildlife viewing routes. So pack lots of on the Clearwater Valley Road through Spahats Creek and four of BC's ten ecoprovinces are found film and water, don't forget your "binos", Provincial Park continuing into Wells Gray Provincial Park. within the region, including some of the field guides ... and your picnic basket! Just past Spahats Creek, the adventure begins with the province's most sensitive ecosystems: Trophy Meadows turnoff—a day hike that takes you up to bunchgrass, ponderosa pine, and Suggested Circle Tours spectacular alpine meadows and the opportunity to see freshwater wetlands.The region's deeply- Thompson Plateau/Nicola Valley Circle Hoary Marmots,White-tailed Ptarmigan, Common Pika, and carved river valleys, rolling highlands, Tour (4 hrs, start from Kamloops) occasionally Mountain Caribou. Just inside the park entrance is the Green Mountain Viewpoint Turnoff (look for plateaux and mountain ranges create a Hwy 5A, from Knutsford to Merritt has moose); the historic Ray Farm (Barn Swallows, bears,deer, climate ranging from the near desert conditions in the magnificent views of the Thompson Plateau and Nicola and small passerines); Bailey's Chute and the Horseshoe Thompson Basin to extremely wet conditions in the North Valley Grasslands—most of the drive is through ranchland. featuring migrating chinook salmon in the fall. Columbia Mountains.These dramatic differences in In the spring and fall look for the stately Sandhill Cranes and landscape and climate result in an amazing diversity of rafts of migrating waterfowl on the ponds and lakes. Note: during the fall, take Hwy 5 east to Raft River where there wildlife species. Of the almost 500 bird species observed in Swainson's, Rough-legged and Red-tailed hawks, along with is a viewing platform on the Thompson River to watch BC, over 300 have been recorded in the American Kestrels are common sites soaring in the sky or migrating chinook salmon. From here, a side road on the north Thompson-Nicola Region. resting on the fence-posts along the way. As you leave side of the highway connects to the Clearwater Valley Road. The area is also rich in cultural history. Merritt, follow Hwy 8 west to the Logan Lake turnoff (Hwy First Nations have inhabited the 97C) and back up into the Thompson Plateau. Stop at Backcountry Hikes Thompson for thousands of years. In Stein Tunkwa Provincial Park for a walk in the high grasslands. Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park, hikers Option:Take the Douglas Lake turnoff from Hwy 5A to Heritage P.P. (3 hrs to multi-day) can see pictographs from the Lytton First Hamilton Commonage (excellent views of the Thompson This park is one of the best Nation's ancestors on the canyon walls. In Plateau from the top of Hamilton Mtn.) and Monte Lake. examples in the province of the Kamloops, visit the Secwepemc First Nation museum. ecological diversity of old growth forests and alpine tundra. Throughout the region are signs of winter and summer Fraser & Yalakom Rivers Alpine and subalpine areas support populations of Grizzly houses and food caches. Look for deep, round depressions Circle Tour and Black Bear, Mountain Goat, Common Pika, Hoary in the ground along rivers and lakes. (backroad/4WD; full day/overnight) Marmot and White-tailed Ptarmigan. Lower elevations have European settlement began in the 1800s as a result of the From the moment you leave a wide variety of forest wildlife including Marten, Pine fur trade, the gold rushes in the Fraser, Cariboo and Yukon, Lillooet, you are driving through Siskin, Blue Grouse and Steller's Jay.The park is a remote and construction of the national railway. Early settlers were some of the most magnificent and dramatic scenery in BC wilderness area jointly managed by BC Parks and the Lytton fur trappers, traders and ranchers. including some of the best opportunities to view some of our First Nation. Over the years, new industries like larger mammals... and some lesser-known smaller ones like the forestry and mining took advantage Common Pika. Leaving Lillooet follow the road along the west Much of B.C., including the Thompson Region, is bear and of the rail and road systems that side of the Fraser River to Moha.Turn left and travel along the cougar country. Bears are generally shy of humans, but, converge on Kamloops.Today, many Bridge and Yalakom River Roads (Mule Deer, Mountain Goats, when startled or feeling threatened, they may become of the historical ranches are still in California Bighorn Sheep), to the Big Bar Ferry. Once across the aggressive. Like all good parents, female bears (sows) are operation—such as Douglas Lake, ferry, turn right following the Fraser River south to Edge Hills very protective of their cubs. Cougars are also Quilchena and the Gang Ranches— Provincial Park, Kelly Lake and Clinton.Take Hwy 97 south occasionally aggressive towards people. Please practice and you'll see their fences and cattle along the Bonaparte River to Hwy 99 back to Lillooet. In the good wilderness safety skills and etiquette while along many of the driving routes fall, pink, chinook, sockeye salmon and steelhead trout travelling in the Region. outlined in this brochure. migrate up the Fraser River to its tributaries.